


Breathe me

by obscureshipyard



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Begging, Billy Hargrove Needs a Hug, Billy Hargrove Redemption, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Blow Jobs, Depression, Drowning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Time Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Hurt Steve Harrington, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Neil Hargrove's A+ Parenting, Period-Typical Homophobia, Praise Kink, Protective Billy Hargrove, Self-Esteem Issues, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Touch-Starved, Underage Drinking, don't forget Billy is a lifeguard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:07:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24588082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obscureshipyard/pseuds/obscureshipyard
Summary: Billy is working as a pool cleaner, he’s sent on a job to clean the Harrington’s pool, only to find Steve floating in the water, unconscious. We find both Billy and Steve are in pretty dark places but together they might just be able to pull each other out. Chapter 1 - Mature rating (depiction of and discussions of self harm/abuse/depression) Chapter 2- Explicit rating (sexual content - see tags)
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 11
Kudos: 217





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My eternal gratitude to TemptedForTea for her editing and encouragement.

Billy parked the truck at the far side of the empty driveway. He missed his Camaro but there was no way in hell he would let pool chemicals anywhere near his baby. It was a stipulation he made very clear when taking the part-time gig cleaning local pools. The city pool offered the service when hours were scarce during the early summer season.

The lifeguard scene offered Billy the chance to scope out the local eye-candy and work on his tan, but the pool cleaning paid better. Plus, he got to work alone. Being away from people was far more appealing since things had settled down in Hawkins. Max told him stories of demo-dogs and portals to other dimensions. Billy didn't really believe her. But since getting his ass handed to him by a bunch of pre-teens and Steve Harrington, Billy was trying to take a step back.

Their lives had gotten so fucked up in the past year. His father had succeeded in taking so much from them. After waking up from being drugged, Billy realized he was on the path to become the same man he hated. It was a slow process to change, but for now he just tried to listen when Max talked and didn't try to mess with her coping strategies.

Blue eyes read over the last call sheet on the clipboard in his lap. Harrington-- Billy cursed. Of course, ‘King Steve’ would have an inground pool that he paid other people to clean for him. _Spoiled brat,_ Billy huffed as he climbed out of the truck and circled to the back to grab the bottles he needed.

He scanned the area. The massive house loomed before him. Dark brick with white and red trimming was complimented by a perfectly manicured lawn. It was quiet, with no obvious signs of life.

 _Get in, get out._ Billy kept his eyes low as he circled around to the back gate. He pushed open the wrought iron as gracefully as he could with his arms full. He was still muttering to himself as he approached the pool.

Billy let out a relieved sigh. It was still silent. The backyard was decorated with even more perfectly trimmed hedges and a freshly cut lawn, not a single weed in sight. Billy set the bottles down on the glass tabletop of the outdoor furniture and looked around.

The pool was huge, olympic size, because of course King Steve had an olympic size swimming pool. The water looked perfectly cool and inviting, accented by the deep sapphire trim along its walls. The back of the house sported the same brick and tasteful trim as the front. A wall of windows along the first floor faced the pool. Billy felt jealousy souring his stomach before he noticed something. At the middle of those large windows was a door. It was open.

He peered deeper into the house but couldn’t see any movement. The bright sunlight was too much of a contrast to see very far inside. He took a cautious step closer to the door. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end as he became very aware, he was not alone.

Slow steps brought him to the far side of the pool, closest to the house. And that’s when he saw it. A body floating face down in the water. Billy had just enough time to suck in a gasp before his feet were moving. He jumped into the water and landed near the body.

 _Steve,_ Billy grasped the older boy’s arm and flipped him onto his back. The slender body lay slack against Billy’s shoulder. He ignored the panic screaming in his head. Instead, he used every ounce of strength he had to haul Steve to the nearby stairs. He dragged them both onto dry land.

Billy refused to let himself give in to the crippling fear. He knew what to do, years of living on the California coast, and months training as a lifeguard meant he could force himself through the motions without having to think.

He didn’t think about Steve’s deathly pale skin, strangely different than its usual alabaster perfection. He didn’t think about Steve’s chocolate brown eyes staying closed, despite Billy shouting Steve’s name. He didn’t think about how cold Steve’s flesh felt, as Billy searched for a pulse.

"Shit!" Billy scrambled to get in position at Steve's side with his hands poised over the boy's sternum. "I swear to God, Steve. Don't be dead." Billy began chest compressions. He had just counted past ten when gurgling and choking pulled Billy’s frayed attention back to Steve's face.

The brunet was hacking up water, but he was moving and breathing on his own. Billy grabbed onto the soaked polo that was plastered to Steve’s shuddering chest.

“What the fuck, Harrington!?” He shouted.

“What?” Steve wheezed, the word slurred and slow. Billy could feel his hands shaking.

“I just saved your life is what! What the fuck were you doing?” Billy couldn’t stop himself from yelling. He realized he was still holding Steve close, practically wrapped in his arms. Billy shoved himself back onto his heels.

Steve lay sprawled on the pavement, propped slightly on his elbows. He looked over at the pool then down at his own sodden body before he spoke. “Drowning, apparently.” His head lobbed to the side to look at Billy. Warm, brown eyes blinked slowly.

“What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?” Billy smacked the brunet’s chest hard. The resulting gasp for air had Billy reaching out to steady Steve and keep him from collapsing back onto the cement. “Christ, man, ok, let’s get you inside.”

Billy stooped down and pulled Steve up onto his feet. He felt a mixture of relief and anxiety when Steve didn’t instantly fall over, but only by leaning heavily into Billy to stabilize himself. It took them a moment to find their feet together. Billy tried his best to ignore how cool Steve’s skin still felt against him.

Steve seemed to notice as he plastered himself to Billy’s side. They made their way slowly into the house. Their wet tennis shoes squeaked on the tile floor. Billy spotted the nearest couch and dropped Steve down onto it. The boy landed with a groan, making Billy wince with regret at his rough treatment.

“Hey, you got towels in here?” He spoke quietly, watching the slow rise and fall of Steve’s chest.

“Laundry room…” Steve’s thin wrist drifted to point to the far side of the kitchen. “Second closet on the right... has towels and shit.” Billy watched Steve for a moment, but the other boy remained motionless.

Billy walked in the direction Steve had pointed. The living room funneled into a vast kitchen complete with marble countertops and sparkling appliances. It looked like something out of the magazines Billy’s stepmother liked to read. He found the laundry room with appliances that looked just as expensive as the kitchen. He moved to the second closet and pulled two towels out from the recessed shelving.

He wrapped one towel around his own shoulders and made his way back to the living room. His steps echoed through the cavernous house. Steve was no longer on the couch, instead he stood at the center island in the kitchen leaning heavily over a collection of liquor bottles and several dirty glass cups.

“Thanks.” He said as Billy handed him a towel. He tossed it over his shoulder but didn’t meet Billy’s eyes. “You can go now.” There was a long beat of silence. Billy was grasping for words.

“Go? Steve, I found you floating face down in your pool. I’m not leaving you like this.” Billy watched with wide eyes as Steve clumsily grabbed a bottle and poured himself a large drink.

“Everyone else does.” Steve muttered before taking a gulp of the strong-smelling liquor. He swallowed then dropped the glass noisily to the countertop. “No wait, last time we were together you weren’t abandoning me, you were trying to _beat_ me to death. Yeah, you can go.” Steve looked at Billy with a furrowed brow as he all but shouted.

“Harrington-- look man, I’m sorry about all that.” Billy took a step closer but kept his hands from reaching out.

“All that.” Steve huffed cynically, turning back to face the counter. Fine tremors shook his shoulders.

Billy took in a deep breath before forcing the words out of his mouth. “I’m sorry for hitting you, for everything I accused you of, for-- hurting you. I was in a bad place and I took it out on everyone around me. I’m sorry.”

“Wow. Weird. Sure, fine, whatever. You can go.” Steve waved him away and picked up his glass.

“Why do you want me to leave so bad?” Billy’s words stopped Steve before he took a drink. The older boy peered over at Billy before he spoke.

“Saves time, you’re just gonna leave anyway. Everyone leaves-- Nancy, my parents, Tommy, Carol, even the little munchkins only come around when they need something from me.” He chugged down the rest of the drink.

“Look man, you’re clearly not in a good place right now. When are your parents coming home?” Billy felt completely out of his depth. He wanted to comfort Steve but didn’t know how. All he did know was he wasn’t the man for the job. He was better at being cruel and sarcastic. He knew how to make people feel worse, not better.

“They left Monday, sooooo… next Friday.” Steve poured himself a drink out of another bottle.

“Jeez, you get the house to yourself for two weeks?” Billy would kill for that kind of independence. But looking at Steve, standing in the empty kitchen with his wet clothes clinging to his skinny body and wide, puppy-dog eyes looking so vulnerable and hurt, Billy knew this was anything but freedom.

“Yup! Been doing it since I was like... ten, er-- something like that. Here, then gone again, work trips, international travel, sabbaticals in countries I've never even heard of. Can't keep those two pinned down for long.” Steve lifted his glass and winked at Billy with a sarcastic smile.

“I don’t think you should be drinking right now.” Billy said.

“I don’t think I should be sober right now.” Steve chuckled, but it sounded desperate. “Agree to disagree!” His hand was shaking when he lifted the glass again.

“Steve.” Billy placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder. The boy went rigid.

“You gonna hit me again, Billy?” He said to the floor.

“No.” Billy watched as Steve placed the glass on the counter and turned to face him.

“I don’t mind.” Steve bit his bottom lip. His gaze dropped to look at Billy’s mouth. “At least then someone's touching me.” Steve’s hand shot out to pull at Billy’s waist and bring him closer. He leaned in and kissed Billy’s slack lips.

The blond saw it coming. He knew the move well. He was just not used to being the one on the receiving end of it. They stayed still in that vast, empty house sharing the warmth of the kiss.

It was Steve who pulled back, looking over Billy’s face with shock. His pink tongue licked at the lingering taste on his lips. Their breathing was shaky and neither said a word. Billy saw the worry all over Steve’s face. He knew the boy was bracing for a fight, for a punch, for pain.

He also knew he should say something, anything. But instead, Billy reached out and pulled Steve close again. He smiled at the feeling of Steve’s skin, it was warm now. And he took Steve’s mouth gently, tasting the hint of liquor. Billy let his hands drift up Steve’s back, feeling lean muscles through his shirt.

Steve sighed into Billy’s mouth feeling tension drain from his body as his tongue moved to tangle with the teasing from his partner. Without realizing Steve found his hands stroking through golden curls and squeezing the drying jeans that encased Billy’s ass so perfectly. Steve’s knees were weak by the time Billy pulled back.

“Did you kiss me to get me to leave?” Billy’s voice was a low hum between them. Their bodies pressed together; eyelids heavy.

“I-- uh, I mean, kind of. Uh-- you’re also smokin’ hot. But… why exactly aren’t you beating my face in again?” Steve had to force his eyes away from Billy’s cherry-red, kiss swollen lips. He couldn’t think when he looked at those lips.

“I'm not going to hurt you, Steve. And I'm not leaving you like this.” Billy cupped Steve’s cheek, forcing the older boy to see the truth shining in his eyes.

“Who are you and what did you do with Billy Hargove?” Steve said.

“Come here.” Billy held Steve’s hand and pulled him along to the living room couch. They sat side by side, hands still touching, jean covered thighs pressed together. “Did Max ever tell you why we left California?”

“She said something about your parents wanting to be away from her dad.” The topic threw Steve for a loop. He remembered when Max had explained it to Lucas in the bus, it felt like years ago, but really had only been a few weeks.

“That's what we tell people, it’s what my _dad_ wants us to tell people. It's part of it, but it's not the real reason.” Billy scratched at the back of his neck. He took a quick breath and closed his eyes. “My dad... he caught me fooling around with a guy. I thought he was gonna kill me. He beat the shit outta me, busted face, broken ribs-- hurt like hell for weeks. By the time I could take a deep breath without wincing he had already gotten a job in Hawkins and sold the house. He uprooted all of us just to punish me. He took Max away from her dad… it's my fault.” Billy bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste blood. A sting of tears burned at the back of his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He blinked quickly and looked over at the other boy.

“Billy--” Steve tried to interrupt.

“Life sucks, ok? It does. Sometimes you get shitty parents, or people die, or friends leave, or life just fucks with you for no reason. But that doesn't mean you give up. You keep going. You keep fighting.” The words had just left Billy’s mouth when Steve grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve climbed into Billy’s lap, pushing hard against the blond’s shoulders to keep him still. Billy grabbed Steve’s thighs to steady him and hold the other boy close. The friction through layers of wet denim set Billy’s teeth on edge.

“Steve, Steve, slow down for a second.” Billy placed a hand at the center of Steve’s chest. But Steve pushed back harder, moving to lick a hot stripe up Billy’s neck and nip at his throat.

“I want to suck you off. I don’t want to think about it, don’t want to talk about it. I want to taste you.” He whispered directly into Billy’s ear as he ground down on the growing erection in Billy’s tight jeans.

“ _Shit,_ ” Billy cursed. He choked on his words as Steve met his eyes with a devilish smile. He then slid down to his knees on the floor between Billy’s splayed thighs.

Steve grabbed the top of Billy’s jeans and pulled the boy to the very edge of the couch and opened his pants. Billy was already hard by the time Steve’s strong hand pulled his cock free. He was clutching the cushions to keep from grabbing Steve and forcing his perfect mouth over his throbbing cock.

Steve seemed to be just as hungry for it. He held the base and dove down onto the firm flesh. He was gagging, eyes filling with tears, trying to get all of Billy’s thick cock down his throat.

“Woah, hey, slow down, princess, slow down.” Billy’s hand stroked over Steve’s cheek, nudging him up. He looked deeply into lust-blown pupils. What he saw made his blood surge, Steve looked desperate. “Pretty boy, you're amazing. Just do what feels good on you.”

Steve’s pink tongue darted out to clean the spit from his lips. He took in a slow deep breath before nodding and taking Billy’s cock back in his mouth. He paid more attention to the head, dragging his tongue over the slit and at that perfect little spot on the underside before dropping down to trace along the throbbing veins of the shaft.

Billy couldn’t hold back the groan rumbling from his chest. His head dropped back onto the couch. His fingers carefully wound into the damp locks of Steve’s hair. Billy had to grind his teeth to keep enough control and not yank and buck his hips deeper into that perfect sucking mouth.

It was torture, and Billy never wanted it to stop. He’d never considered himself much of a hair trigger in bed, but with Steve he felt needy and raw. He couldn’t hold back his orgasm as it tore him open.

He came down Steve’s throat with a shout feeling every muscle in his body go taut. His fingers held Steve in place as he rode out the last few pulses. Then, he quickly pulled Steve back up to his mouth. The brunet was gasping for air but pulling Billy closer, as well. Their mouths met in a mess of tongue, and spit, and salty come.

The blond felt his body relaxing into post-orgasmic bliss, but Steve was still hard and writhing in his lap. Billy moved his hands down to open the fly of Steve’s jeans and wrap his hand around his leaking cock.

“You want some, princess? Hmm? Want me to get you off?” Billy teased. Steve whimpered and thrust his hips up into Billy’s loose grip.

“Please, fuck, please, Billy.” Steve dug his fingers into the muscles of Billy’s forearm. His eyes were closed and the most gorgeous flush spread across his neck and cheeks.

“Fuck, you beg so good, princess.” Billy growled into Steve’s ear as his hand began pumping Steve’s cock with firm, twisting strokes. Steve was thrashing under his touch exposing the naked column of his throat. Billy couldn’t resist.

He had the older boy exploding in his hand as he sucked dark marks into the pale skin of Steve’s neck. They were both a tired mess of semen, sweat, chlorinated water but neither of them cared. Steve fell onto his side on the couch pulling Billy with him.

They lay in the quiet together, wrapped in each other’s arms, and fell into a dreamless sleep. The sun was starting to set by the time they began to stir. Billy awoke to warm brown eyes blinking back at him.

“This is all backwards.” He sighed. “I'm supposed to call you up, take you out, then we fool around.” He smiled and leaned in to kiss Steve lightly.

“Such a gentleman.” Steve snarked and returned the kiss, lingering a bit longer. He enjoyed soaking in the warmth Billy seemed to radiate.

“I still want to take you out. I wanna call you, too.” Billy caught the flash of anxiety that pinched Steve’s pretty face. “I can’t promise I won’t hurt you. Life’s fucked up, man. But I promise I won’t leave you unless you ask--”

“Don’t leave.” Steve’s arms tightened around Billy’s shoulders.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere.” Billy promised and leaned in for another kiss.


End file.
